[Karma finally caught up with her. She'sbeen fired!]

[Good riddance! Someone who ruins company morale needs to go.]

[Wasn't she fired because of those online rumors?]

[If I were her, I'd have quietly resigned. The nerve to hang around until beingfired!]

The company chat notifications exploded.

Peter used the app's wave function to send Ella a greeting, which automatically generated a quick reply on screen: [Screw off, why are you bothering me?]

Fuming. Peter typed rapidly: [Ella,you've been fired already. Why are you still in the company chat? Get out now!]

This accusation was completely baseless.

Royce had prepared a promotion application for her, even telling her to take a day off and relax at home.

She had simply taken one day off and visited Human Resources. How had that morphed into being fired?

Ella could only shake her head in disbelief.

She stretched her long legs out on the couch,took a bite of her apple, and ignored Peter's messages as he continued ranting in the chat.

Exiting the group chat. Hannah suddenly messaged her.

[You scared me! 1 thought you'd actually been fired. False atarmt wny didn't you tell me about your promotion?!

True friendship shows itself in difficult times.

Only people like Hannah, who had actually worked with her,know what kind of person she really was, rather than labeling her as someone who slept her way to the top based on gossip.

Ella typed back while munching on her apple: ['Talk tomorrow morning.]

|Want me to put those jerks in the chat in their place?!

Seeing Hannah's message, Ella paused, feeling a wave of warmth spread through her.

[No need. The truth speaks for itself.]

In the past, Ella might not have been so calm about this situation.

But after experiencing so many ups and downs, facing life's various challenges, she could honestly say she was now prepared to meet any obstacle with composure.

During her free time, Ella replied to a message from Shadow Seekers Detective Agency.

[What have you found?]

Their response came quickly.

They sent the background profile of the housekeeper.

Yasmin,female.

Age:46.

Legal residence: Maple Ridge, Silverlake Township.

Through this background investigation. Ella discovered Yasmin had a brother with a gambling addiction, a mentally disabled mother, a paralyzed father, and an alcoholic husband.

Ella believed the investigation was making progress, so she asked:[Were the $1,000,000 and this other sum transferred from the same account?]

The detective replied promptly: [They came from two different accounts.I'm investigating further and will inform you immediately when I have news.]

[Good.]

Two different accounts? Could Judith be behind this?

Ella's expression darkened, her gaze becoming intense.

At the Raymond Group headquarters, Austin had been sleeping in his office for several weeks.

His assistant approached with thick stacks of documents. "Here's Ms.Brooks' new project proposal. I've reviewed it and adjusted some issues based on current market AI technology development."

"Good."

Austin's gem-like eyes remained fixed on his screen for a long moment.

"Mrs. Raymond still hasn't let you return home?" the assistant ventured.

Austin let out an incredulous, cod laugh. "Do you think I'm staying away

because she kicked me out?"

The assistant shivered and lowered his head, not daring to speak further.

Coincidentally, Ella hadn't responded to his text about the housekeeper position.

His long fingers methodically scrolled through his screen, the light casting shadows across his face.

After a long silence that seemed to stretch endlessly, the assistant watched as Austin's expression darkened, his fingertips pressing so hard against the screen that it looked like he might shatter it.

The screen displayed a notification that he had been blocked.

Not just his phone number, but his social media accounts as well.